Wolf VS Beast!
by Atsumi-sama
Summary: They started out as an ordinary Wolf pack, but as they realize that humans are coming into the forest, they must chose between fleeing to find a new home, or standing to fight back.
1. Ordinary Day

**_Wolf vs. Beast_**

**Chapter 1**

It was a beautiful spring morning in the forest by a human barn. The sun shone brightly in the sky above the trees that rustled as a breeze sighed past, casting long, dancing shadows across the clearing that was home to a small pack of wolves. Several dens were dug under the shade of the tall, leafy trees. They were strewn out among the edges of the clearing, identifying the areas of which the different pack members slept and, after mating season, the females gave birth and stayed in them for long periods of time, while the male would hunt for them.

The sun was inching up into the sky as the first of the pack started emerging from their dens. One, a pale gray-colored she-wolf with yellow eyes and a bit of white tinged down her chest, belly and legs, walked up to a pure gray male with big, red-orange eyes and softly pushed her muzzle into his neck fur in greeting.

"Good morning, Shade." The female said in her soft, song-like voice. Shade nodded to her with a smile and greeted her with a, "good morning, Bell."

Shade and Bell were the alpha couple of the pack. They were the ones who made most of the decisions for the pack and who made sure that everyone was in order. Their den was by a large tree stump, which they used to alert the pack of any danger or threat. All of the dens were self-dug by the members of the pack. They believed that independence was mandatory if the pack was to thrive. And it was thriving. They had exactly five pack members, not including the alpha pair, so that made seven. That was plenty enough to take down a bull elk or maybe even a bear, if threatened.

As Shade and Bell exchanged a few words of update on the camp and prey source, more and more of the pack began emerging from their dens until all seven of them were out in the clearing, sitting around and talking amongst themselves before they had to go out and hunt or patrol.

Shade finally ended his and Bell's conversation with a nod and turned to his pack-mates.

"Ok everyone," he said after he knew they all were listening, "Time to assign jobs for the day."

There was a faint murmur of eagerness among the pack as they all lined up and stood up straight, ready for their leader's orders to be given to them. Bell watched her mate with a smile as he paced down the short line of his pack-mates, assigning their roles for today.

"Sky," he said to a pure white, female wolf, "You will go with Boulder and hunt." He gestured toward a dark gray, strong-looking male wolf. In return, Boulder nodded and went to stand beside Sky. As they stood side-by-side, it was easy to tell who was stronger. Boulder stood nearly a half-foot taller than Sky, and his muscles always looked tense, as if he were prepared to spring at any moment. But he looked as calm as a newborn pup in its sleep.

Shade walked up to a male wolf with a mix of Black, gray, brown and white all about his coat and said, "Adder, you and I will go out and find some fresh bedding for the dens and clean up around camp. I want this place neat for when our new pack members come." He smiled warmly to Bell, who smiled back and glanced at her stomach, which was bigger than it normally should be. She was going to have pups! Of course, all the members were happy for Bell and Shade and everyone wanted to do their part to help. But Adder grimaced at the thought of having to clean up after his pack-mates. It made butterflies in his stomach. But, he was a loyal member of the pack, so he took the job with pride and acceptance.

"And now, Mud, you will go with Honey and find some herbs that will help with birthing. The pups should be coming sometime soon, so we want to be prepared." Mud, a pale brown male wolf with even darker brown paws and muzzle, nodded and went to stand beside Honey, who was a beautiful, tan-orange female with a black-tipped tail. She nodded to her leader and glanced over at Mud, who was staring at Shade, ready for him to give the command.

"Now, disperse." Shade said, going to get beside Adder to start cleaning.

Bell looked at her mate, "What should I do Shade?" she asked, already knowing what he would say.

"You will stay and rest in the den. Star and Boulder will be back soon with some food so you can keep your strength up, and so you have plenty of milk for the pups." He said, giving her a quick, affectionate lick to her check and walking away to help Adder, who was struggling with a giant pile of bedding which he collected, already, from all the dens. Shade went and helped to drag the pile away.

Bell sighed and went to lie outside her den. She would wait to go inside until Shade and Adder had brought new bedding. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted into a doze.

Bell was suddenly in an unfamiliar place. There were no trees, no bushes, just an endless array of grass. She looked to see that a wooden fence surrounded her and a big, wooden thing with clear, see-through squares here and there. It looked about as big as a tree! Bell was scared. Where was Shade? Where was her pack? She lifted her head and howled a distress call. No answer. So she got to her feet.

She walked a few steps, then fell back down to the ground. Why was she so weak? She felt her stomach lurching greatly, but she didn't feel sick at all. "The pups," she cried, "the pups are coming!" she howled again for her pack. Still, no response. But something did happen.

A human came out of the door of the big, wooden thing. It must be its den. Bell thought. The human came closer and closer. It squatted down as it got into touching distance and reached out for Bell's head. Bell growled a deep, warning growl at the strange creature. It immediately recoiled its hand and stared at her. She stared back, her piercing, blue eyes locked on the human's hand, her teeth bared in an intense snarl of protection. The pups would come soon, and she did not want this human to touch them.

Bell growled even louder, but this time, the human did not recoil in its position. Actually, it did just the opposite! The human stretched out its arm and laid it gently on Bell's stomach. That set Bell off. The human was now too close for comfort. She stretched her neck to give the hand that touched her a good bite. It tore the flesh and made it bleed badly. The human let out a sharp howl of hurt. It quickly stood up and ran back into its den and slammed the door behind it.

Bell was satisfied. She knew that the human would not bother her any more. But she still had the problem of delivering the pups. She felt more and more lurching every second. And finally, she felt it. The biggest lurch of all. It was time. Alone, lost and weak, she started pushing. I can do this, she thought as she began to deliver.

As time went by, three pups were born and already drinking from their mother's soft, warm underbelly. But Bell could feel another still in her. She pushed and pushed with all her strength, letting out small yips and yowls of pain, and finally, the last pup was born. Bell was so proud. She looked at the three pups, who were by now asleep, and smiled. But she didn't feel the last pup come to drink. She looked over at him to see that he lay still beside her hind leg. Her eyes opened wide in horror.

"No!" Bell yelled, jolting up. She was back in the forest, the trees now still as noon came. The sky started forming puffy, white-gray clouds that promised rain by evening. She gave a deep sigh. It was just a dream.

Shade was just coming out of their den, apparently finished with his duty. He walked up to Bell, touching his nose to hers.

"What's the matter Bell?" he asked, a bit worried.

Bell gave a small grin, "Oh, it's nothing. Just a dream." She said.

Shade calmed down and smiled at her. Bell couldn't look away from him. He looked so beautiful in this position. His gray fur shining a golden gray in the sunlight that now poured into the clearing patched by shadows from the leaves and branches above. His dark, amber eyes were kind and sincere as he stared down at his mate. Bell couldn't help but smile back at him.

Shade also had the same thoughts about Bell. Her pale gray fur turning a dirty blonde-color in the sunlight and her bright, yellow eyes gleamed as she stared up at him.

Anyone with half a mind could tell that these two were in love. From the very first time they met when they were pups, to now and probably farther on until they die, they were, and will be, in love.


	2. Special

**2 - SPECIAL**

The next day, the moment the whole pack have been waiting for arrived. Bell lay in her den, licking clean the tiny bodies of four newborn pups. Shade sat outside the den, watching with a big smile that showed how proud he was. He had thanked the pack for their support and care many times, and each time it made the pack happier.

All four pups were healthy and started drinking immediately after birth. They suckled for a few moments before they all curled up and fell into a soft sleep, their tiny backs rising and falling from their long, smooth breathing. Bell looked down at them with love in her eyes. She was so happy that her dream didn't come true. She hadn't told anyone about the dream, so right now she was perfectly happy.

Shade then walked cautiously into the den, ready if Bell decided he wasn't allowed in. But she gave no sign of being hostile, so he continued onward. When he got into the den, he went up to sniff at his new pups. He looked at Bell with obvious pleasure in his smile.

"They're beautiful." He said softly, so as to not awake the pups.

Bell nodded and pushed her nose into his chest. He smiled down at her, his eyes soft and loving as he rested his head on hers and lay down to sleep. The rest of the pack outside knew that they should carry on themselves, so they all went on a hunting mission.

"We'll catch the best elk out there!" said Sky as she and her other pack-mates ran through the forest. The others all agreed with a whole-hearted, "Right!" and they all put their noses to the ground, slowing their pace a bit.

It wasn't long before they caught a fresh scent. It was Adder who smelled it first, but the others picked it up before he could say anything.

"This way." said boulder as he started to trot in the path of the scent-trail. The others followed right behind him, holding their noses close to the grassy forest floor. The moonlight shone bright through the trees above, turning the pack's coats a silvery color as they followed their trail.

Boulder then suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. The others did also and got low to the ground, creeping closer to the lone elk that stood, grazing at the long blades of grass on a bush. Boulder, Sky, Adder, Honey and Mud all crouched low in a line, creeping up inch by inch on the elk. It would be a good catch if they succeeded, for this elk looked like it grew fat on whatever it preyed on. The five wolves looked at each other in approval, waiting for the signal to attack. Their eyes were locked on their prey as they waited silently in the night. And then, right as the elk sensed their presence, Boulder gave the signal, quick and short.

"Now!" he cried as the elk started to run.

The group gave chase. It wasn't hard for them to keep up with it. But they did have to give it a few bone-crushing bites to the hind legs before they could go in for the kill.

It didn't take long before they had successfully took down their prey. They were very satisfied and they knew that Shade would appreciate it. The elk was so big that they all had to pitch in to drag it back to camp.

When they got back to the camp, Shade and Bell were still asleep. The group kept quiet as they dragged the dead elk to the middle of the clearing. They all sat behind it, anticipating the arrival of their leader. They murmured excitedly to each other as they waited, making sure to keep real quiet, so as to not wake their leaders.

Soon, the scuffling of paws on the dirt aroused the group's excitement. They held their heads high as Shade walked sleepily out of his den. When he saw what lay outside, his eyes flew open in astonishment.

"Surprise!" they all said, jumping to their paws.

Shade walked up to the elk, amazed. "Did you all kill this yourselves?" he asked. There was no doubt he was happy.

They all nodded and gave their leader space to sniff cautiously at the elk corpse. The group grew even more proud as Shade looked up at them, smiling. But they never would have guessed what he was about to say.

"This is great, you guys are the best. I never thought I would ever have another pack that appreciated me enough to actually do something like this for me without being told…"

Sympathy washed over them as they all went up to Shade and each gave him an affectionate lick. Shade felt so happy that his pack actually liked him for once. He couldn't help but look up to the half-full moon and howl. The others smiled at each other and joined in, too.

The noise aroused Bell from her sleep. She stepped out into the silvery moonlight to see her mate leading a howl. She was confused until she noticed the elk by them. She smiled big and went up to put her nose into Shade's side. He looked down at her, still smiling, and gave her a lick on the muzzle. She gave a small laugh as all the others ran up to her and gave her affectionate nuzzles, excitedly telling her about their hunt. As they finished, Bell showed her approval by licking each of them on the ear. They were very proud of themselves and each other.

Just as they all started settling down, they heard a faint, yipping noise. They all turned their heads in the direction it came from, leading them to the leaders' den.

"The pups!" cried Bell in a desperate, squeaky voice.

A large, male lynx was halfway in the den, yowling and hissing as he tried to get at the blind and deaf newborn pups inside. Bell was too afraid for her pups to move, but Shade jumped in to the rescue. He got the lynx good on the hind leg, locking his jaws tight into the soft, furry flesh of his enemy. The lynx let out a loud _mrrow _in pain and fury. It turned around, coming out of the den to see that he had a wolf on him. He swiped at Shade with his powerful paw, slashing Shade on the side with its thorn-sharp claws. Shade fought back with all his strength, forced to let go, but not forced to give up. The lynx got up on its hind legs, ready for a good fight. Shade also got up on his hind legs, ready to defend his territory, and more importantly, his mate, pack and pups.


	3. Outcome

**Outcome**

"Shade!" everyone cried as they witnessed the soon-to-be bloodshed battle.

It was raining now. Shade got back down on all fours and turned his head to look at his pack, probably for the last time.

"Guys, I'll be ok, just get Bell out of here." He said, looking Bell in the eyes. Bell nodded slowly, not wanting to leave her mate and pups here with this horrible pup killer. The gang nodded and helped Bell to leave the scene. They all left the camp, hiding nearby in a large thorn bush. They ignored the pain that snagged at their fur and continued to watch their father battle against these impossible odds. Bell couldn't stop from whining softly. She was worried about her pups and her love.

Shade was now circling around the lynx, searching for a good place to spring. The lynx watched him cautiously as he grew closer and closer. And then,

Bam

Shade leaped upon the lynx and locked his powerful jaws onto its tail. The lynx thrashed and yowled in pain and anger, swinging Shade from side to side. But he held on tight until the lynx stopped for a second, then he let go and sprung at its neck. But he missed. He did manage to claw at its eyes though, leaving them bleeding and gouged. The lynx squealed and thrashed about, causing Shade to have to dodge its blind swipes that aimed everywhere. Shade was satisfied now, he had blinded the lynx, thus, leaving it weak and helpless. He then leaped at it again and this time, bit down on its neck.

The lynx then whipped and bucked badly around, trying to fling Shade off. Shade didn't expect the lynx to be even stronger now that he was blind, so the lynx succeeded in getting him off. He flew across the clearing, only to be stopped by hitting a tree. He fell to the ground, his back was hurting and his head was bleeding badly from the impact.

They lynx sensed his weakness and began to blindly stalk towards him. Shade tried to lift himself to his paws, only to fall back down again. The sticky, red liquid flowed down from his injured head to the ground, staining the grass red. The lynx growled a low, menacing growl. Its jaws parted, ready to give the last bite. But suddenly, Shade saw a flash of white, gray, black, brown and tan pile upon the lynx. His pack had come out of hiding and they all pounced upon the intruder. Shade was to weak to move, but he suppressed a smile before he slipped into unconsciousness.

Bell rushed to his side and began licking his bad wound to the head. She gave silent prayers to the wolves of the moon to keep him, and her pack, safe.

Sky, Mud and Honey had the lynx held to the ground while Adder and Boulder gave it multiple bites of fury. It put up no more fight and gave up quickly as it realized it was outnumbered. But no one wanted to take any chances. One by one, each of the pack gave a harsh bite to the neck. And it was over. The intruder was dead.

They wasted no time in dragging the lynx away from the den to check to see if the pups were ok. When the deed was done, they came back and listened carefully. They heard nothing. No squeaks of fear. No cries of hunger. Nothing.

Bell shot past everyone and scrambled into the den.

What she saw next was unexpected…

She let out a shrill cry of horror. Her pups were lying on the ground, motionless and covered in blood. Their small bodies were banged up and scarred from the Lynx's giant claws and teeth.

Shade suspected that his pups were dead from the cry of his mate. He slowly walked up to Bell, his ears down, and licked her cheek comfortingly. Bell turned around and buried her head in his furry chest and cried. Tears streamed down her face and fell to the ground. Shade licked them away but they just came back. He lay his head sadly on hers and stared into the blood-stained den.

Then, a small movement caught his eye.

He narrowed his eyes and saw that one of the pups was struggling to breathe. He was alive, but barely. Shade quickly bounded into the den and stood above the dying pup.

"Oh please, my pup! Please live!" he cried.

Bell saw that one of her pups was still alive and she ran into the den and starting licking the small pup's wounds. Her crying had stopped. She was determined to keep her pup alive.

The small pup's chest rose and fell as his breathing became more even. He had stopped bleeding and was now cringing in pain. Shade sighed a huge sigh of relief and stepped out of the den, facing his anxious, worried packmates.

He looked at each of them one-by-one and finally put on a grin and proclaimed, "One lives!"

The pack all cheered in glee and surprise. They were obviously extremely happy for their leaders. They all ran up to Shade and licked him and spoke assuring words to him. They wanted to help in any way they could.

Shade smiled at his pack's determination to help him in his time of need. Now that his pup was safe, the real work begins.

**A/N: Ok guys, how do you like it? Yeah, it took me a while to update, but it was worth the wait wasnt it? Anyways, please reveiw and tell me if i did good or not. And please, go easy on me, I'm new at this. :D**


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